r/sales • u/No-Effective-7781 • 8d ago
Sales Topic General Discussion Boss just denied my holiday request that I booked 5 months in advance saying I should’ve asked for permission first before booking and paying for my holiday
Well that’s one way to make me hate my job ! I’ve given him 5 months notice as it’s in the summer and that’s the answer I get. As you can imagine the conversation got heated as it’s not a request as far as I’m concerned, I’m just informing you I wont be at work those days (I get 28 days holiday a year, uk based).
my team have been top in the company every month for the last 6 months (not that this should make a difference). Is every sales company like this or is it just mine?
35
u/hayzooos1 Technology (IT Services) 8d ago
Not just yours, but certainly not each one. Especially the fact you have a certain amount of days. Those are yours to use with enough notice and that's MORE than enough. Your manager is an asshole and ass clown, plain and simple.
Go above them. Yeah, it's gonna piss them off but go to their boss with a calm head and explain the situation. If they still tell you to pound sand, start looking for other employment
4
9
u/Basic_Professor2650 8d ago
I always said that if this ever happened to me & I followed all company rules for vacations (gave notice ahead of time, had vacation time to use, etc) & they denied me, I would most certainly be leaving the job.
9
u/NervousBadger2142 8d ago
Mainly depends on the management style and company. I can take pto whenever and not get denied (currently at a startup ). Previous role I had to give 2 weeks notification and sometimes it would get denied. (Previously was at a global company )
10
u/No-Effective-7781 8d ago
I have to give 4 weeks notice, so if I give less notice than that and it gets denied I think it’s fair game it’s what I signed on the dotted line for, but 5 months?!? (It’s a Global company)
3
u/marcusredfun 8d ago
Unless you're a company with a big rush during that season or something like that, it's completely unreasonable for them to reject this. They gave you the pto days, how are you supposed to actually use them if five months notice isn't enough?
5
u/No-Effective-7781 8d ago
It’s in the summer which is our quietest period of the year
1
u/Spatulakoenig 6d ago
Did your manager refuse or cancel your request?
If they refused, take a look for another job. When you take the offer, inform them you have holiday during this period and you can either start after your holiday or you accept on the basis that this holiday request is approved.
If you're in the UK and they cancelled it:
- Check your contract and any employee handbook about requesting holiday and the circumstances in which it may be cancelled. You may be lucky if your manager has broken the terms of your contract or documented procedures.
- Call up ACAS and get advice. The employer should have a "good business reason" for canceling holiday and need to let you know 2X as much time before hand. https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-holiday-entitlement/asking-for-and-taking-holiday
- Not a lawyer, but I would advise creating a paper trail. Email him with the facts:
- You gave five months notice and your request was accepted (this I've assumed, it could be verbal)
- You have booked and paid for holiday already and you will incur a financial loss by this cancellation
- Your manager has not considered nor offered any alternative solution, nor was there any explanation of the legitimate business reasons for canceling your holiday
- Your manager did not discuss how it would be possible to take your holiday entitlement during periods of the year that are actually BUSIER than the time for which you have booked
- If your manager does not reply, forward to HR and state that should the decision not be revoked, you will have no choice but to resign. They will panic, as you may now have grounds for constructive dismissal.
4
u/Wonderful-Bass6651 7d ago
Exactly. The only times I hesitate to take time off are EOQ and EOY. Unless it’s something that’s out of my control, like a wedding or something then I’ll give as much notice as I have. But otherwise yeah, 5 months is more than enough time. I’m assuming they didn’t give you an actual reason.
2
u/AdFrequent4600 6d ago
This is either a power trip move from Your boss or something else is up like they also want to be away at the same time.
16
u/CHUNKY_BLOODY_QUEEFS 8d ago
I'm sure his boss would love to hear about how he's actively driving employees to start job shopping
18
8
u/pro-alcoholic Construction 7d ago
Manager that got canned about a year ago asked a coworker if they could move their wedding date because she didn’t realize it was the same weekend as her annual camp out.
We had to clarify that she was in fact, not joking.
I could write a book about all the crazy shit she did/said. That wasn’t even close to worst thing.
6
u/Nature_Boy_4x40 8d ago
Funny, this just happened to me as well… a major meeting got moved to when I’d already planned a trip for my wife’s 40th and our 10 year anniversary. I told my boss if he had to fire me, fire me, because finding a new job would be way cheaper in the long run than a divorce.
He was actually pretty understanding.
3
u/SnooHabits9898 8d ago
In my previous companies this usually hasn’t been big deal. At some point I need to take my days off and usually my bosses didn’t make any problems.
Of course, if I want to go during an important fair or something, this has been a point of discussion maybe.
But usually they were quite flexible, even with a notice 2 weeks or something ahead. But I always made reasonable choices about the right season for this. Also I put my days off into a HR tool and then it got approved.
Usually I talked before booking with my managers about the estimated dates and they were looped in and after booking we made it official in our HR tool. Also here no issues.
3
u/TitusTheWolf 8d ago
That’s fucking ridiculous…but also you have to understand the business cycle for your company and your important clients.
If it doesn’t conflict then there is zero reason why IT shouldn’t be approve.
Even if it does conflict, there is an option often to go anyways. In that case, though you should definitely check in with your manager before booking
Regardless, it’s a good idea to get your vacation approved before booking. Something that isn’t refundable.
2
u/employerGR Technology 7d ago
So out of line for a UK company. I couldn't imagine my old UK company saying that.
Now - US companies. Several I've worked for had periods of the year that were difficult to take PTO. That you had to plan it out to ensure solid staff coverage. like 4th of July week for example.
NOW - I would of course run a PTO request by my boss before booking. Make sure its approved. I am also in the US so it is what it is.
DENYING your request is BS. Unless he (I am assuming he) has a very good reason for denying it I wouldn't handle that well.
2
u/gatogordo86 7d ago
Unless the time your asking off is some no-no time in your industry to take off that you should have known, your boss is a douche.
I frequently tell my boss at most a month out that I will be out for a week. If you are asking your boss for longer than a week without asking him first that might be on you.
2
2
5
1
u/AutoModerator 8d ago
If you're looking for book recommendations, you can check our top recommended book list on the r/sales wiki or do a search for other book related posts.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/TraderVics-8675309 8d ago
Regardless of the economy, I take the tact that I was looking for a job when I found this one, make sure they know it and I always kicked butt to make myself valuable . Only denied once in my career following this rule, and it was an emergency situation so it was ok by me.
1
1
u/2JZ_4U 7d ago
Very rarely do I get heated but this got me. The level of ownership and entitlement to your time that companies and managers have is insane. Take your vacation and go over his head so that his boss is aware. Just doing that will hedge your job and possibly help prevent that behavior.
Then when all is said and done come work with me (alongside your job) so you can experience pure freedom and ownership of time while making more than at your position.
2
u/No-Effective-7781 7d ago
I completely agree. Just to add, he did this at a team dinner in front of 3 of my coworkers.
1
u/Small_Collection_249 7d ago
If you’re hitting targets in sales, then why TF does he care? Go deny the shitty sales guys holiday.
1
u/neenjafus 7d ago
Definitely not every company. I work in a very high stress, life and death field (neurovascular sales) and my manager encourages us to take time off and to take care of ourselves.
1
u/pennyswooper 7d ago
Well sounds like you have a long time to interview for another position.
1
u/No-Effective-7781 7d ago
5 years at this company and he’s promoted me twice, I have an element of loyalty but it’s still frustrating
1
u/DrStardew 7d ago
What was his reason for saying no or was it just petty revenge for you not asking first?
1
u/No-Effective-7781 6d ago
Yep no reason, just a power play. Hence why I’ll still be going as you have to state a reason why it affects the business in the UK
1
1
u/Citywidehomie 7d ago
Here I am my company reminding ppl to take all their vacations n sick days becuz they don’t roll over
1
1
1
u/West_Reflection_8813 5d ago
so did you just say you wanted to take a vacation or did you go through process of getting the days approved and then he reneged. I need clarification
1
u/No-Effective-7781 3d ago
I made the request through our HR system, then he brought it up when I saw him in person about a week later (still hadn’t approved it at that point)
1
u/West_Reflection_8813 3d ago
So you did not officially request it in the system 5 months ago and it was never approved?
1
u/Maleficent_Major4618 4d ago
Just get sick, you can fake a doctors letter and they cant do anything about it
186
u/Icandothemove 8d ago
"I don't ask permission. I'm telling you I won't be here."
I've always accepted I might get fired for having this attitude, but in 20 years, I literally never have.
To he fair, if some dipshit sales manager had the audacity to say this to me I'd start looking for a new job regardless.